Gun aiming system



y 1949. R. BATTAGLlNl 2,474,813

GUN AIMING SYSTEM Filed May 2, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Pi l. 1

DIRECTOR DIFFERENTIAL GUN TRANSMITTER REPEATER TRHVsMITrER REVER5/6LEPRESSURE FLUID QvWv/WM Hens Enccnglini HYDRAULIC July 5, 1949. R.BATTAGLINI GUN AIMING SYSTEM 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 2, 1946 gwumvbomIII/II/III July 5, 1949. I R, BATTAGLlNl 2,474,813

GUN AIMING SYSTEM Filed May 2, 1946 6 sheets-sheet 5 July 1949. R.BATTAGLINI 2,474,813

GUN AIMINQ SYSTEM Filed May 2, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 .mnIi-g 4 /20IIHMIIIHEEH! Hana En Hct lini July 5, 1949. BATTAGLIN] 2,474,813

4 GUN AIMING SYSTEM Filed May 2, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented July 5,1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted under the act of March 3,1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 28 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me ofany royalty thereon.

In certain types of antiaircraft guns now in use, the gun is movedangularly by hydraulic motors, one for elevation and another for train.Each motor is controlled by a light pilot valve which, in turn, controlsa main valve. The pilot valve is of the reciprocating piston type andthe connections are such that when the valve is in central position, asource of high pressure fluid is cut off from the motor so that nomovement of the gun occurs. When the pilot valve is displaced in onedirection, pressure fluid is thereby admitted to a corresponding end ofthe main valve which being displaced thereby, permits pressure fluid toflow to one side of the corresponding hydraulic motor to angularly movethe gun in a first direction while, When the pilot valve is displaced inthe other direction, the motor is operated to drive the gun in a secondor opposite direction.

In the types of guns under discussion, control of the pilot valve isusually effected from a separate or distant director through electrictelemetric connections of the Selsyn type. Certain values such as range,present position, elevation and azimuth rates of the target, areintroduced into the director. The director then combines these valuesand delivers an output consisting of two continuously-changing angularvalues. These values are the predicted azimuth angle and elevation anglethat the gun should have in order to hit the target if fired at thatparticular instant. Each value is separately I transmitted. to the gunby a "Selsyn transmitter having its field coils connected by standard Yor delta three-phase connections to the stator of a differentialrepeater. The rotor of the aforesaid repeater has standard three-phaseconnections with the stator of a gun transmitter whose rotor is gearedto rotate in timed relation with the elevation or train motor of thegun, as the case may be. The rotor of the differential repeater ismechanically connected to a torque arm operating the aforesaid pilotvalve. Thus, as the rotor of the transmitter at the director is turnedthrough an angular increment the field induced thereby in the stator ofthe gun transmitter rotates through the same increment and thethreephase connections cause an equal rotation of the field induced bythe stator coils of the diiferential. As the field induced by the rotorcoils of the differential repeater is momentarily at rest because of thefact that the hydraulic motor is not rotating, there is an increment ofrelative rotation between the stator and rotor fields of thedifferential. This relative rotation causes a torque to be applied tothe torque arm and results in a shift of the pilot valve. Theconnections are such that the ensuing rotation of the hydraulic motorcauses a corresponding increment of rotation of the stator field of thegun transmitter to restore parallelism between the fields of the statorand rotor of the differential repeater. The movement is smooth andcontinuous, with substantially no lag, so that the gun at all timesrepeats or follows up the corresponding angular output of the director;and it will be noted that the rate of angular movement of the guncorresponds, in each case to the angular displacement of the stator androtor fields of the differential repeater and, hence, to the angle ofdisplacement of the aforesaid arm.

At times it is preferable or necessary, as when firing at relativelyclose range, or when the director has been put out of action by enemyfire, to control the gun manually, effecting aim solely by observationof the tracers. Manual control is also desirable when it is desired torapidly move the gun to direct the same in the general direction of afast-moving target, preliminary to switching to director control. Toaccomplish these purposes, I propose to provide a control element whichmay be carried directly upon the gun mount or spaced an appreciabledistance therefrom, together with a clutch by which said control elementmay, through Bowden cables, be connected to directly control theaforementioned torque arm. By this construction, the gun may becontrolled by and from the director, when desired, or may besubstantially instantaneously converted to manual control when dictatedby the conditions or exigencies of combat.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an attachmentfor automatically controlled guns that may be substantiallyinstantaneously substituted for director control and which may, withequal facility, be disconnected when it is desired to return toautomatic or director control.

Another object is to provide an attachment as aforesaid that affords apositive mechanical linkage or connection from a central control pointto the pilot control valves previously mentioned.

Another object is to provide a manual control for the power drives ofguns that may be actuated from a central station by one operator andthat aifords a precise, accurate control operable in a natural manner toenable the gun to be moved smoothly and at a desired rate to a positionindicated by the tracers or bursts as necessary to effect a hit.

A still further object is to provide a manually operable central stationcontrol that is readily adjustable at the gun for the most convenientoperating, position, while, efiecting control by a single elementmovable about mutually perpendicular axes.

Another object is to provide in a single unit, elevation and traincontrols for a gun and, in which the movements necessary to effect thedesired component angular movements of the gun,

in train and elevation bear a natural relation-Jo the respectivecomponents so that the operator has the sensation that he is directlymoving the gun. In this way, rapid sensory response. of the operator toimperfect aim is assuredand. vertigo on the part of the operator isavoided.

A further object is toproyidea manual control. y tem. as a e aid; ha mabe at c e xi t pe f gu s. or; hi h t intended, quickl and. Wit ut. aniwar hamper n th ri i al intended; manner otoperation f thegun, whendesired.

A il u her. obieen s. o Diox de a manua contrQlsyStem for-us b asingleoperator-using forward; area. sights, on. tracer control. to track. e ae m q l r nd a id y her b ec s nd: ad antages f ilwell" n il b come ap aenteelie egel i oed In the: drawings;

Figurelis a schematicview showin in a simplifiedmanner. the principles,utilized: in the oil gear. control, it being understood .-that each gunwill have. two of these controls, one forelevation and the other. for,azimuth,

Figurei2 is. a fr.ont.,elevation of: one of the oil gear pilot. valve.controls. of: a. standard? 4.0mm. antiaircraft gun, with.GOV-611413181116: removed to show details of the un transmitter.andrdifieren tial repeater. before application. of i the control,

element of my. invention,

Figure 3 is a view similar. toFigure 2- but showingthe controlelement.of..the invention applied to the oil gear. pilot valve aswell asthe transmission cables leading. thereto,

' Figure 4 is an elevationali-viewpfithe aforesaid control elementremoved/from .the oil g earvalve, and showing the side thereofoppositeto that illustrated in Figure 3 to reveal-the slidemounting for theclutch plate, the pivot ed pilot valve control lever, the actuatingsprings, and the cable connections Figure 5 is a perspective view of theclutch plate and the cablefmountingbracket' attached thereto," m MFigure 6 is a cross-section takenupon a plane indicatedby the line riors; Land showe i articular the lqfl l ev the slidable clutch:plateibn'which the lever is pivoted; l cjthe ep ipapin br'j ci ii n', d h,

ate, i active. ndg ieeiir q hie e.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the aforesaid nil tvalr l ven F ure ae -tier on he line Ta -Ila of Figure, 3, sh'pwing the manner in whichare, held in 1 12 .2

Figure. 8, is. an. ele,vati on q f, thea for,esaid pilot the twocenteredges of, the; cover. platesections I cated, theline 3?..3, Figure 12,and showingembrace and actuate the torque arm pin of the pilot valve,

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the left-hand side of a standard 40mm. antiaircrait gun with my invention applied thereto, and showing moreparticularly the manual control unit including the upper side of thesteering wheel at nearly maximum elevation, fine adjustmentmeanstherefor, and mechanical control cables, operated by movement of thesteering wheel about respective elevation and train axes,

Figure 10 is a perspective View of the left-hand side of a 40 mm.antiaircraft gun equipped with the invention, and showing the mountingbrackets forthe manual control or steering Wheel unit, and the detailsof the horizontal axis mounting of said unit,

Figure 11 is a. perspective view of the lower side of the steering wheelunit showing more particularly the manner in which the unit is mountedfor moyement about mutually normal axes, one, of which is horizontal,the control cables actuated by movement of the wheel about therespective axes, and the fine adjustment means effective to move thewheel about the. aforesaid horizontal axis,

Figure 12 is a partly sectional view substantiallyupon the line l2,-l2of Figure 13, and showing in detail the, mounting for the steeringwheel,thelcontrol cables, and the fine adjustment mechanism. forthe wheel,

Figure 12a is a perspective. view of the-bracket for securing-thecircular base plate in. fixedrelation with its. parallel mounting axle,

Figure 13- is asection taken upon a plane indithe. details of thesteering wheel pivotaxis noriel; o a d Wh l Figure 14 is; a sideelevation of the steering Wheel unit showing in. greater detail itsmounting bracket, fine adjustment about the horizon-- ll; nd. imit psFigure 15 is a schematic view of a first mod]?- fi ed formof. controlfor usewitha different type of oil gear, together with means operable toeffect connection anddisconnection of said; control and l i lfi s mqtposition;

Figure lfiis an elevation of a second modified form of; the. inventionfor,use.with the-elevation oil,geanshown-uponFigureJdand showing meansfor rendering. inactive the limit stops. normally employed with theaforesaidtypeofi oil gear,

Figure. 17 is av schematic view of theelevation controlof Figure 16showing the control in side elevation and the connection between thesame andthe gun by which the gun is stopped at the limits of itselevation and depression'movements,

Figure18 isa detail view showing the retractor plate employed in themodification of Figures 16 and. 1'7, and

Figure-19 is a sectional view of the modification shown at Figures lfiand 17, taken upon the line I9. I 9 vof Figure 17,

General description In general, the inventioncomprises-a steering wheelor discmounted upon theportion 01? thegunsuppqrtthat is pivoted .to movethe-gun'about a vertical axis. The steering wheel is locatedat onesidelof, andzclosely, adjacent the gun so that the operator, in effect,looks along the bore-rof the gun and. is .in position closely to observethe .trajectories, of the tracers. The wheel itself is mounted upon abracket for-movement about a. rst x bs nt a l ar l elhe r n on orelevation axis of the gun and a second axis normal to the first axis andcentrally of the wheel. Disconnectable flexible connections are providedbetween the respective axes of the wheel and the oil gears wherebymovements of the wheel about the first axis causes elevational ordepression movements of the gun in the same direction. That is forexample, if the Wheel or disc is tilted upwardly, the gun is elevated.Also rotation of the wheel about the aforesaid second axis moves thegun' in train. Again the direction of train is made the same as thedirection of rotation of the wheel. In all cases, the rate of movementof the gun is proportional to the angular displacement from null or zeropositions of the wheel about its respective axes. By the arrangementdescribed, the operator or gunner intuitively moves his wheel in theproper direction necessary to correspondingly displace th trajectory ofthe projectiles as indicated by tracers so that it intersects thetarget. By manually-operated clutch connections, the steering wheelcontrol may be quickly connected and disconnected so that shift fromdirector to manual control or vice versa, may be effected rapidly, ascalled for by changing conditions of combat.

The oil gear control For the purpose of aiding an understanding of theinvention, it will be assumed that the oil gear shown schematically atFigure 1, controls the movement of the gun in azimuth. It will beunderstood that a similar system is provided in each gun, forcontrolling the movement thereof in elevation.

A transmitter I is located at a gun fire director remote from the gunemplacement, and includes a rotor coil 2 and delta-connected statorcoils 3. A cable including conductors ll connects the respectiveterminals of the stator coils 3, with the corresponding terminals ofstator coils 5 of a differential repeater 6 having a rotor includingdelta-connected coils l. A shaft 8 is connected to be turned by rotationof the rotor of differential repeater 6. This shaft has an arm 9 fixedthereto which, through a link Ill may move the piston ll of a fluidpressure control valve l2 within its cylinder l3. Fluid such as oil,under pressure, is supplied by way of a central connection !4 to theinterior space defined by the separated sections of piston l l. Outletsl5 and I6 extend from cylinder l3 to a hydraulic motor ll having itsshaft l9 connected, in this particular case, to turn the gun in azimuth.The motor I! also has its shaft connected as at 20, to the rotor 2| of agun transmitter 22 whose stator coils 23 are delta-connected byconductors 24 to the coils of rotor l of difierential repeater 6.

In normal or neutral position, both outlets l5 and I6 are blocked bypiston H and motor H is at rest. When a change in predicted azimuth isdeveloped in the director a corresponding rotation of coil 2 iseifected. This results in a rotation of the field induced in coils 3 byrotor 2, and a corresponding rotation of the field induced by the statorcoils of differential repeater 6.

The rotor coil 2| of gun transmitter 22, acts to induce a field in itsstator coils 23 and this field is repeated by rotor coils l ofdifferential repeater B. When, therefore, the field induced by coils 5rotates relatively to the field of coils l, a torque is applied to shaft8 which effects a movement of piston H against the action ofcentralizing springs 25 and in a direction depending upon the directionof rotation of rotor 2. Movement of piston ll admits fluid underpressure to one outlet and permits exhaust from the other. As a result,motor I! turns and the mechanical connections are such as to turn thegun in the direction corresponding to the direction of rotation of rotor2 and also to turn rotor 2! of gun transmitter 22. A rotation of thefield of coils 1 is thereby effected and the connections are such thatthis field rotation follows the field rotation of coils 5. As soon asthe field of coils 1 is again in agreement with the field of coils 5,the torque on arm 9 disappears, springs 25 return piston II to centralor neutral position, and motor I! stops.

The action just described is smooth and continuous so that the gunrotates in the direction corresponding to the rotation of coil 2,substantially without lag. It should also be noted that the rate ofangular movement of the gun will be proportional to the displacementfrom central position of piston II. The foregoing system is duplicatedin each gun for elevation control, the only difierence being that shaftI9 is connected to operate the elevating gears of the gun, and rotorcoil 2 in the director is driven in accordance with the predictedelevation angle to be applied to the gun.

It will be understood that motor I! drives both the gun and coil 2|through reduction gearing, not shown in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows the oilgear as actually used in a standard 40 mm. antiaircraft unit. In thisfigure, the parts are enclosed within a casing 26 connected withbrackets 21 and 28 of the induction motor that drives the oil pump. Thiscasing is normally closed by a cover plate which has been removed inFigure 2. lhe differential repeater is indicated at 5 and its rotorshaft 29 carries a torque arm 38 having a projection 30a extending fromone side. This carries an adjusting screw 3! operable to vary theconnection between 3011 and pilot valve piston ll slidable withincylinder I3. A second projection 30b extends from the left side oftorque arm 30, as seen in Figure 2, and carries an actuating pin 33having its axis parallel to the axis of shaft 29. Centralizing springs25 are secured at their adjacent ends to projection 35b, and at theirremote ends to the casing of repeater B. The gun transmitter 22 islocated within the casing 26 at the left, as seen in Figure 2. The shaft34 of transmitter 22 is connected with spiral gear 35 by an adjustablecoupling so that slight relative rotation between the two may beeffected after loosening screws 36. Gear 35 is in mesh with a spiralpinion 31 fixed on a shaft 38 journaled in bearings, one of which ismounted in a bracket 39. This bracket is held in place by screws 40.Shaft 38 is connected through appropriate reduction gears with the gunazimuth hydraulic motor in the case of the azimuth oil gear, and withthe gun elevation hydraulic motor in the case of the elevation oil gear.From the explanation presented in connection with Figure 1, it will beclear that when a relative rotationv of the fields induced in stator androtor coils 5 and 1 of repeater 6, a torque is applied to shaft 29 thateffects a displacement of piston I l in one direction or the other, tothereby initiate a corresponding rotation of the azimuth or elevationmotor, as the case may be. This displacement is effected against theaction of springs 25. The resulting operation of the hydraulic motordrives shaft 38 and gear 35 to cause the induced field of differentialrepeater rotor l to follow the rotation of stator field 5 and restorealignment between the two fields. When this has been effected thetorquepn.shaftrflkdisappearsz and;- springs 25 return. piston H toneutral, thusstopping the motor.

The features;justdescribedare well known and form. nopantofimyjnvention. Itwill. be noted that, with oilpressure on and the circuitof conductors kopen, controlor the gun is possible by manuallyapplying-torque to'the arms 38 of the respective azimuth and:elevationoil gears. My invention includes meansfor doing. this byapplying ,forces' to pins. 33;

Figured shows the. azimuth oil. gear of Figure 2 with the adaptervmeansof the. invention appliedthereto. u-shaped :upperandilower spacers44 and45-are providedto extend :part. way around the flange of casing.26; At the left side of. Fi ure 3, they edgesof these spacers areindicated at Ma and,45a., respectively, so. that, when the adjacentsection 55 .ofcthe cover plate isin position, a. slot. is. formed:through which control cables 46,.and41 maypass to.the interior of theoil gear casing 26. At the. right. of. Figure. 3, these spacers havespaced edges- 44b and 88b so-that when.cover:plate section. 5815 inplace, a slot isformedthroughwhich-clutch plate slide.

As shown. in- Figures. 3.--and..7a, a-bracket plate 49extendsverticallyr across the central. portion of the'casing andis-adapted to be rigidly secured thereto by central studs-42.. The sideedges of plate 49 are offset or. raised to accommodate theadjacent-centeredges-of coven plate sections 55 and. 56. Thus,eachsection can be removed-upon removal ofthe corresponding-end pair ofnuts 38. A guide blockin -has awidth tosmoothly fit between the sides ofa longitudinaLslot inslide 48, and is-of-a .thicknessslightly greaterthan the thickness of said slide. A stop plate 5i, Figure 4. has tappedholes-53 adaptedvto be engaged by a pair of cap screws '54passinginwardly. through D aligned holes in plate: 49. Plate 52 overlapsthe edges-of slot 51 and'thus coacts withblock ll. to confine themovement of clutchplate 48.1.0 longitudinaltranslationr Alocking pin 51'is slidably mounted inza. hole-in plate49- Figure 6), and isurgedinwardly bya spring 58=acting between the head of said pin .and anabutment 59 secured to plate 49; The end of the pin, is adaptedto-iiteither of a pair -0t holes 60 ins-lide tliand thus releasably secure the'slidedn. either of two'positions. The significance-or these-positionswill be subsequentl described;

Slide 48 has a-reduced end 48a carrying a pin GI exteriorly ofcasingvZG,and by w-hich the plate 48 maybe shifted fromone positionto-the otherafter retraction of lockingpin 51. At the other end of slide thereis abracket tii .attached'by screws 63 and having'an outstandingportionprovided with slots 64.-and 65, shownat Figure 5. As clearlyshown at FiguresB and 4; these slots are adapted toreceive'the'sheathing. of flexible cables and. 41 so. that when nut5515- turned down on a headed sleeve-61 on cable 48', forexample, thesheathing. is clamped to the bracket; The clampingconstruction isthe-same'for. both cables. Various-openingssuch as-BS; 78 and II areprovided'insl-ide 48 -for the-purposeJ-of facilitating adjustment ofscrews,-etc.; located --behind said slide.

A torque arm actuating-lever- 68-.--is shown at- Figures 3;to 8,inclusive. This lever'comprises a maincentral portion 13from-which-arrns 72' and 14 extend in .opposite.directions.- Thesearmshave respective longitudinal slots. Hand '18.

addition, parallel-g arms Thand: 18 extend from, 75

central. portion- 18.- Eachsaid. arm is L-shaped incross-section withvertical flanges. extending toward-each other asbest shown upon Figure7. A pivot hole 19. extends centrally of lever 68.

through portion 13 and, as shown in Figure i, apivot screw engagesattapped hole 8i in slide 48 to thereby pivotally mount lever 88 onslide 48. From Figures 3, .4 and 8, it will be noted that arms H- and 18carry leaf springs 82 and 83, respectively. Each spring is-bent backupon itself to form legs of unequal length. The shorter legis flat andhas a holethroughwhich securing andadjusting screws 84 and 85 pass toattach eachspring to its respective arm Her 18 by means of nuts 86 to89, inclusive. The longer legs of springs 82 and 83 are bowed towardeach other, as-

best shown in Figure 8, whereby they may receive pin=33 between them.Furthermore, by turning screws 84-and 85 inwardly, the ends thereof maybe made to engage the bowed portions of springs 82' and 83. and thusadjust theforce with whicheach spring engages the pin, while, at thesame time effecting, if desired, a slight. angular movement of lever 68relatively to pin 33. Figures 3 and 8 show the position ofthese springswhen slide 48 is moved inwardly to causethem to engage pin 33, whileFigure 4 shows their position when said slide is moved outwardly todisconnect them from the pin.

The core wire 90 of 'cable 46 has a hook ill'secured to its endwithincasing 26. This hook 'engages over a smooth'part of the shankofabolt 92. The threaded outer part of said shank passes throughslot"'|5 andis clamped in adjustedposition along said slot by nuts 93threaded thereon and engaging opposite'sides of the lever; By

loosening one of these" nuts the bolt 92 may he slid along slot 15tovary the radialdistance of the axis of said boltfrom the pivot screw88. The core 94 of cable is connected-in'a-Iike manher, through hook 95,with the lower end of'lever be clear from the foregoingdescription.Whenslides 48 of both elevation and azimuth oil gears; are in theiroutward or released position, springs 82 and 83 are entirely out ofcontact with pins 33-and the gun may be automatically controlled fromthe director, in the-usual manner. When it is desired tomanually'control the power drives,

the various circuits are opened, pins 57 are with-- drawn, and eachslide 48 is rnoved inwardly and locked, in the position shown in Figure3. Springs 82 and 83 are-now in firmbut yielding engagement with pin 33and anymovement imparted to cores Stand 94, will efiect a pivotalmovement of lever- 88; a corresponding rotation of torque arm 30, andtranslation of pilot valve pis ton I I. Thusit-is possible to'shiftinstantly from automatic director to manual control, and vice versa. Itwill be noted that when slide 48 is in efi'ective or operatingpositionas shown in Figure 3, the pivots of lever 68 andtorque arm 38-.

are in substantial alignment.

It is within the purview of the invention to'provide mechanical orelectrical operating means for effecting shift ofslide 48 from a remotecontrol station. Thus pin 51 might be withdrawn by energization of acorrespondingmneof a pair of..-

solenoids connected to slide 48 directly or through appropriatebellcranks. Then energization of the solenoids at the remote controlstation in the proper sequence, will permit rapid shift between the twotypes of control just mentioned. Alternatively flexible cable controlsmay be run from pin 51 and slide 48 to the aforesaid remote controlstation for a like purpose.

The manual operating unit In general, the manual operating unitcomprises a so-called steering wheel rotatable about twomutually-perpendicular axes, a first of which is central of, and normalto the plane of said wheel, and a second of which is parallel to adiameter of said wheel. The wheel is so connected that movement thereofabout the first axis operates the azimuth control cables while movementabout the second axis operates the elevation control cables.

Referring more particularly to Figures 9 and 10, I identifies the lefttrunnion support of the gun carrying a bearing IlII within which isjournaled a trunnion extending from the breech casing assembly I02.Although they form no part of the present invention, it may assist inunderstanding the invention to identify breech operating lever I03,right and left frames H34, H25 and rear guide I06, of the automaticloader, side cover plate I01, elevating arc gear sector Its,equilibrators I09, firing plunger 91 and firing lever 98. It should alsobe noted that upper and lower elevation stops I92 and I93 are providedon seetor I08 to engage a part on the trunnion support and thus limitelevation and depression of the gun. Figures 9 and 10 show portions ofthe elevating mechanism located upon the left-hand side of the gunincluding a hollow post I I0 rising from the top carriage frame andcontaining a shaft adapted to be driven from bevel gearing within a gearhousing I I I. A stub shaft I I2 is connected to drive these bevel gearsand has a squared end portion adapted to receive a crank when the gun isto be directly manually elevated by an operator seated in chair H3.

A clamp I I4 is formed in two sections, pivotally connected by bolt II5,Figure 9. This clamp extends about post H0 and is drawn firmly aboutsaid post by turning a nut lit to draw the two halves of the clamptogether. One section of the clamp is forked as at I I1, for quickremoval. The other section is extended to form a base for a rightangular support bar I I 9 presenting a flat upper surface from which apair of spaced lugs I23 and I2I extend upwardly. These lugs have alignedholes to receive a pair of clamp bolts I22 and I23, respectively.

A pair of slides I24 and I25 are formed of appropriate lengths of angleiron and have their upstanding flanges slotted as shown upon Figure 10,and their horizontal flanges in the plane of the upper surface of barH9. The bolts I22 and I23 pass through the respective slots in slidesI24 and I25 as well as lugs I20 and EH, so that, when the nuts on saidbolts are loosened, the slides, as well as the entire control wheelstructure supported thereby, may be adjusted forwardly or backwardly tosuit the operator. After adjustment, the nuts are tightened to rigidlyclamp the slides in position on bar I I9. A brace bar I26 is secured atits forward end to a bracket I21, Figure 10, by a clamp bolt and nutindicated generally by numeral I28. Bracket I2! is bolted to aconvenient part of the top carriage of the gun, that is, the mainsupport of the gun pivotally movable about a vertical axis to train thegun in azimuth. The other end of bar I26 is clamped by a bolt I29 to barI I9, at a point substantially midway between lugs I20 and I2I. This bartherefore acts to rigidly brace the control wheel assembly relatively tothe gun and to prevent vibration thereof during firing.

As shown upon Figures 10 and 13, the slots in slides I24 and I25terminate short of the rear end of their flanges which are thereprovided with bearing holes. A control wheel supporting frame isindicated generally by the numeral I30. This frame, as shown, is builtup from a pair of short strap sections I3I and I32, Figures 11 and 12,held in parallel coextensive relation by a U-shaped connector bar I33.The sides of the connector bar are secured to strap sections I3I and I32by bolts to form a rigid frame. The lower end of sections I3I and I32have apertures in alignment with the aforesaid bearing holes in the endsof slides I24 and I25. Bolts I35 and I33 pass through these alignedholes and act as pivot pins to enable adjustment of the frame I33 abouta normally horizontal axis parallel to the steering wheel. Frame I30 andparts carried are secured in adjusted position about this axis merely bytightening the nuts on bolts I35 and I36. The steering wheel assembly isthus mounted for both vertical and forward and back ward translation, aswell as for pivotal adjustment about a transverse normally horizontalaxis.

The upper ends of strap sections I3I and I32 have aligned holes forminga normally horizontal pivot axis for a hollow shaft I31 which, as shownmore clearly in Figures 11 and 12, is cut away at I38 along a planethrough the axis thereof over a portion that includes the axle I33 ofwheel I39. It will be noted that connector bar I33 is provided at itsright end, as seen upon Figure 12, with a pair of split bushings Mt andMI which, when the nuts carried thereby are turned down, are adapted toclamp the sheathing of flexible cables 46' and 41' to said bar.

The cores of said cables extend in opposite directions, for a full turnabout hollow shaft I31 and are there clamped beneath the respectiveheads of bolts I42 and I43 extending diametrically through section I31.In this manner, as shaft I31 is rotated on its axis, cables 49' and 41'act to transmit the motion to the elevation torque arm actuating lever.Thus, when the clutch plate or slide carrying this lever is in activeposition, rotation of tube or shaft I3l, as aforesaid, initiates andcontrols elevation movement of the gun. Referring to Figure 10, the

connections are such that when shaft I31 is rotated clockwise, the gunis elevated while, when said section is rotated counterclockwise, thegun is depressed. It should be mentioned that very light flexible cablesare sufiicient to transmit the necessary forces. This cable mayconveniently be of the size commonly used in connection with thecarburetor choke controls of automobiles.

A circular base plate I44 is rigidly secured to shaft I31. This mayconveniently be done by a special bracket I46 which, as seen in Figure12a comprises generally a U-shaped member I53 having aligned holes I41and I48 to snugly receive shaft I31. Parallel angle sections I49 and letare bolted to the U-shaped member so that their upper surfaces are flushwith the ends thereof. Aligned rectangular notches I5I and I52 areformed in the bracket, to snugly receive a bar I54 centrally aperturedat I55 to form a bearing will be noted that this axle has else a lowerbearing in an aperture I56. The axle itself is formed of a cylindricalcentral section having a reduced threaded lower end; The upperhnd ofthis axle has a cylindrical reduced section I51, followed by a squaredsection" I58 and terminating in a reduced threaded portion I64. Upwardmovement of the axle is prevented by a pair of nuts I59 on the lowerreduced end. A pulley r sleeve I60 fits the larger central section ofaxle I38 and is secured thereto as by a set screw I6I, Figure 12. Thispulley, in conjunction with nuts I59 acts to prevent axial movement ofaxle I38.

A spacing washer I62 is secured by bolts I63 to the central under sideof wheel I39. The wheel and washer are formed with central alignedsquared apertures fitting the squared portion I58 of axle I38. Thus whena nut "on portion I64 is turned down, wheel I39 is fixed to axle I38.Base plate I44 rests upon the coplanar upper surfaces formed by sectionsI49 and I59 and is secured to these sections by cap screws [80 passingthrough holes I'Ill in their ends. Block I45 may be welded or bolted toshaft I31, Figure 12. Screws I82 are passed through plate I44 into thisblock. In this way, plate I44, shaft I31 and bracket I46 are securedtogether for movement as a unit about the axis of the shaft.

As shown upon Figures 11 and 12, flexible cables 46 and 41 pass throughthe open end of hollow shaft I31, thence through split bushings I65 andI66 received in holes in one leg of member I53. When nuts on'therespective bushings are turned down, the sheathing of the cables 46 and41 is clamped in position with respect to member F53. The cores ofazimuth cables 46 and 41 are wrapped in respectively opposite directionsabout pulley I60 for one or more turns and the ends are secured theretoin any suitable manner, as by passing beneath the heads of screws, notshown. Thuswhen wheel I39 is turned, the cables act to correspondingly turn azimuth torque arm actuating lever 68 to cause azimuthal movement ofthe gun. The connections are such that clockwise movement of the wheelcauses clockwise movement of the gun. It should be noted that themovement or displacements of the wheel I 39, about the axes of axle I38and shaft I31, determine the rates of movement of the gun and that foragiven angular displacement of the wheel abput a given axis, the gun(within the limits of its range of movement in elevation), will continuete rotate about its corresponding axis at a definite rate aslong as thatdisplacement of the wheel is maintained. Wheel I39 is provided with anadjustment knob I61 for convenience of operation. j

A gear sector I 68 is bolted to one leg of U- shaped member I53, inposition concentric of the axis of tube or shaft I 31. A fine adjustmentshaft I69 having a knob I fixed to its end at the left side of strapsection I32, is journaledfin bearings, one of which is formed by holesin strap I32 and bar I33, and another by a hole ina lug, I1I, fixed tothe upper surface of bar I33. The end of shaft I69 journaled in lug If,is reduced to receive a spring I12 which acts between the shoulderformed by said reduced portion, and an abutment I13, to urge shaft I89outwardly and thus maintain a pinion I14 out of engagement with sectorI68. Pinion I14 is fixed on shaft I69 and when it is desired to effectfine control of gun movement in elevation, knob I'IIIJsgrasped andpushed inwardly to mesh pinion I14 with seetorlfifi.

12 Then by turning knob [10, very fine adjustments of the rate ofmovement of thev gunin elevation maybe effected. Upon release, spring"I1 2 acts to automatically move Pi ion" I-14 out of ms'h'f'lt should benoted that, as best shown at Figure 14, strap I32 is formed withoppesitely-disposed I15 and I16 each positioned to engage the of baseplate I44 when the wheel I39isin respective extreme positions ofadjustment. Theslugs are so located as to permit a rangeof movement froma few degrees below the horizontal in the forward position of the wheel,to a substantially vertical rearward position thereof. The dimen; sionsof the tube I31 and lever 68 are, of course,

15 rso correlated with arm 30as to make thetota l permissible range ofmovement ofTthe steering wheel about the axis of tube I31 exactly equalto the total permissible range of movement of arm 30 and pilot pistonII. In order to precisely co-} ordinate these ranges of movement, eachstop lug may be provided with an adjustable capscrew I11 and I18, Figure14, so that the fullfeifectiye range of rates afforded by the elevatienoil gear may be utilized while avoiding the pessibility of applyingexcessivestresses to 'the rela 1 deli}- cate parts of the torque arm andpilet piston in their extreme limiting positions of movement.

From Figure 9, it will be 'ndted that wheel I 39 has an arcuatecircumferentiallyextending slot I19 formed therein and that a rack I84,is pref vided along one edge of this slot. A knob I82 is provided with ashaft I83, Figure 12, "jnurnaled in aligned bearing holes in plate I44and block I45. A pinion I86 is fixed to shaft I83I'and, is normally heldout of engagement withrack by a coil spring I85 surrounding the shaftand, acting between an'abutment on the. shaft and the bottom of acounterbore in block I45. When fine adjustments of wheel I39 aredesired, knob I82 is pushed downwardly against the.

action bf. spring I85 to cause pinion I86 to mesh. with rack I84.Turning of knob I82 then effects theYdesired adjustments.

A shaft I81 is journaled in lugs extending from the under side of baseplate I44. From Figures 10'. and 13 it will be seen thatthisshaftissubstan tially parallel to shaft I31 and that its ends are,positioned slightly outwardly of the periphery f plate I44. Stop armsI88,only one ofwhieh shown, Figure 10, are aflixed; to the respe tiveends of the shaft so that when these armslare. in the position shown,their endsflie within thepath of a pair of limit bolts I89 securedwithin holeszor slots formed in the rim of disc I39. These bolts andstop arms thus coact to limit the rttaaonydf disc I39 The rotation issofcoordinated with the azimuth oil gear as to coincide with theftotalfrange of movement of the pilot i ton whereby the full range of azimuthrates. may be, utilized while, at the same time preventing, the, tion ofexcessive forces to the oil gear the limits of movements thereof havebeen reach d, When desired for any reason, arms I88 may be pivoteddownwardly out of, the path of limit bolts I I69. The arms are held inpositionsof panama-j justment by friction on shaft I8 1 afi orded aspring arm I99 engaging therewith and attached by a bolt I9I to theunderside of plate I44.

Operation When, for any reasons such as engagements at close range orinoperativeness of the director, it is desired to manually control themotors operating the gun in elevation and azimuth, the, directorcircuits are opened andslides. mounted upon the elevation and azimuthoil gears are moved inwardly by thrusts applied to the exteriorlyprojecting portions 48a thereof. As previously described, this acts tocause Spring arms 82 and 83 to embrace the respective torque arm pins33.

The designated member of the gun crew or tracker then takes a positionin seat H3 and grasps the steering wheel with the thumb and index fingerof each hand while the three remaining fingers of each hand grasp thesupports at the respective sides of the steering wheel I39 to afford asteadying influence. In the mid position of wheel I39 about the axis oftube I31, there will be no motion of the gun about its trunnion axis.

Likewise in the mid position of wheel I39 about the axis of axle I38,there will be no azimuthal movement of the gun. Displacement of thewheel from these mid positions, in either direction will cause amovement of the gun in the corresponding direction and at a rate that isproportional to i,

said displacement. When the tracers indicate that the trajectorysubstantially intersects the moving target, either or both knobs I andI82 may be grasped and pushed inwardly to engage their respectivepinions whereupon turning of the knobs effects the desired final rate orrates of movement of the gun. Since the gun movements are in each casein the same direction as the movements of the wheel, and at a rateproportional to the displacements of the wheel from the aforesaid midpositions, the tracker obtains a sense of directly manually moving thegun and is thus enabled quickly to obtain the feel of the instrument andto effect smooth movements of the gun in the manner and throughconsecutive positions necessary to continuously and successfully engagethe target. Under the conditions of use for which intended, therefore,the percentage of hits is increased over previous methods or systemswhile the time necessary to destroy or cripl ple the target is greatlyreduced. When director firing is to be resumed, it is merely necessaryto withdraw slides 48 to their outermost positions.

Modifications Figure shows a modification of the invention adapted foruse in connection with a type of oil gear operating upon the sameelectrical principle described in connection with Figure 1. In thisfigure, 5 indicates a differential repeater operating in the same manneras 5, Figure 1, and having a torque arm 30 fixed upon its rotor shaft29.

described in connection with Figure 1.

Arm 30' has its other end projecting so that the path of its tipintersects the flanges 203 and d of a limit spool or first slide 202whereby the arm is limited in its range of movement. In the known typeof oil gear as actually constructed, the aforesaid spool is adjustablymounted by a projection 225 apertured to slidably receive a projection205 extending axially from spool 202. To adapt my invention to this oilgear, an axially and radially extending slot 201 is cut in spool 202between the flanges thereof, to slidably receive a forked or secondslide 208 having spaced, parallel arms 209 and 2I0 projecting forwardlyinto the path of the adjacent end of arm A single projection extends inthe opposite direction from arms 209 and 2I0 and is apertured td receivewith a smooth sliding fit, the straight shank of one arm of a bell crank2II pivoted at 212 to a bracket 2 I 8 carried by the oil gear frame. Theother arm of the bell crank is connected at 2I3 to one end of the coreof a flexible Bowden cable 2 M. It will be noted that when bell crank 2II is in one position, its lower arm is parallel to the direction ofsliding of spool 202.

The arms 209 and 2 I 0 are provided with springs, 2 I 5 which may be ofthe same form and arrangement as springs 82 and 83, previouslydescribed. Thus, when bell crank 2I I is pivoted clockwise to theposition shown at Figure 15, it acts to move slide 208 toward arm 30 andcause springs 2I5 to embrace the end thereof. Then, when verticalmovements of spool 202 are effected, corresponding pivotal movement istransmitted to arm 30' through the springs. These movements of spool 202are produced by connection to one end of the core of a Bowden cable 2I6,as at 2I'l. At their ends adjacent the oil gear, the sheathing of bothcables may be secured in any suitable manner in bracket 2 I8.

Means for operating cable 2 I 4 to move slide 208 by cable 2 I 4, and tooperate cable 2 I 6 to manually control lever 30 when said slide is inthe position shown at Figure 15, may be provided at any convenientstation upon the gun. Such a station might be, for example, within easyreach of the member of the gun crew operating the steering wheel. Atthis station a slide or member 2I9 is mounted, as by means of arectangular slot 222 and fixed guide member 22 l, for translation from afirst position to a second position shown at Figure 15. A bell crank 222is pivoted upon a fixed part 223 of the gun trunnion support and has apin and slot connection 224 with slide 2I9. The other arm of the bellcrank is connected at 225 to the adjacent end of the core of cable 214.The sheathing of the cable may conveniently be attached to a bracket 226fixed on slide 2 I 9. Thus as slide 2I9 is moved from the aforesaidfirst to second position, bell crank 222 is pivoted thereby to exert apull on the core of cable 2I4, move bell crank 2I I to the positionshown upon Figure 15, and move slide 208 into operative engagement witharm 30'.

A rod 221 is slidably but non-rotatably mounted within a bearingprovided by a bracket 223. At its upper end, rod 221 is pivoted to alink 229, which, in turn, is slidably and pivotally mounted at 239 on abracket 23!. Brackets 228 and 23I are carried by the gun trunnionsupports and hence train with the gun about a normally vertical axis butdo not move with the gun in elevation. Link 229 has a projection 232 towhich a pair of springs 233 and 234 are connected. These springs act tourge the link 229 into the position shown, Figure 15. The adjacent endof the core of cable U0 is attached to link 229 as indicated at 235 sothat the springs also act to urge spool 202 and rod 221 to thecentralized positions shown upon the figure.

The lower end of rod 22'! carries an offset roller 236, pivoted on anaxis normal to the rod. The double-armed lever 68, leaf springs 82, 83,bracket 62 fixed to slide 2I9, and flexible cables 45, M extending fromthe steering or control disc to the respective ends of lever 68, may allbe identical with the identically-numbered parts of Figures 3 to 8,inclusive. For this reason it is deemed unnecessary to repeat thedescription thereof.

As previously stated, both elevation and azimuth slides 2 I 9 willusually be located within easy l reach of the crew member designated tocontrol wheel I39. When shift from director to manual control isordered, the aforesaid member grasps slide 219 and fOIceS it to theposition shown upon Figure 15. This movement acts to rock bell crank 222and, through cable 2L4, bell crank 2| I. Slide 208 is moved to the leftin its slot in spool 202 and springs 215 move over and .embrace the endof lever 30'. At the same time lever 68 is moved with slide 2| 9 so thatsprings 82 and 83 move over and embrace roller 236. Both elevation andazimuth slides are thus moved and all connections are thus effectedwhereby when control disc I39 is moved, a corresponding movement oflever 68 is produced. This movement acts through rod 221 and cable 2l6to effect a vertical movement of spool 202 and slide 208 and thereby, apivotal movement of torque arm 30'. Return to director control iseffected merely by pulling slides2 I9 to the limit of their movement inthe opposite direction. When this is done, spring returns arm 30 tocentral or neutral position. Springs 233 and 234 return spool 202 tocentralized position and the oil gear parts are then entirely free fordirector control through the differential repeaters.

Figures 16 to 19, inclusive, show a further modification adaptable tothe type of oil gear shown upon Figure 15. In these figures, the oilgear parts are identified by the same numerals that are used in Figure15 and need not be again described.

A special bracket 23'! is adapted to be secured to the oil gear casing238 to provide parallel projections 239 and 240. These projections haveverticall aligned apertures within which a frame 24l is guided forreciprocation. This frame as shown at Figure 1'7, comprises verticalcolumns 246 and 241 connected at top and bottom by spacers 248 and 249.Column 246 has a pair of vertically-spaced, parallel apertures square incrosssection and extending transversely therethrough. Column 241 has apair of reduced circular apertures, each in axial alignment with arespective aperture in column 246 to form guides for a pair of plungers242 and 243 having inwardly bowed leaf springs 244 and 245 affixed totheir ends, respectively.

From Figure 17 it will be noted that each plunger comprises a squaredshank slidably fitting its aperture in column 246, and a reduced rodportion slidably fitting its aperture in column 241. The reduced rodportions terminate in heads 250 and 25!. A plate 252 (see Fig. 18), hasslots 253 and 254 extending inwardly from each end and of a width toreceive the reduced shanks of plungers 242 and 243. This plate liesbeneath the heads 250 and 25L A pull cord 255 has one end attached toplate 252 by an eye 256. The cord passes over a guide pulley 26.0,mounted on bracket 231, Figures 17 and 19, and carries a sleeve 258slidable through an aperture in projection 239. Coil springs 251 and 258surround the reduced portions of the plungers. At one end each springengages against the shoulder formed between the two portions of theplunger while at its other end engages column 241. The two plungers arethus urged into a limiting outward or extended position wherein springs244 and 245 engage and embrace the end of arm between them so that, whenin this position, reciprocation of frame 24! acts to pivot arm 30.Retraction of the plungers from effective position is accomplished by apull exerted on cord 255. This cord may extend to any convenient controlstation and may, if desired, be replaced by a Bowden cable or otherknown mechanical 16 or electrical control, for example, a solenoidcarried by bracket 231 and acting upon a plunger or armature fixed toplate 252.

Spool 202 may be the same as shown in Figure 15, but since it is notused in the control being described, it is necessary to render itflanges 253 and 204 ineffective under conditions of manual control. Thisfunction is conveniently effected by cutting the flanges away along achord thereof, as indicated at 259, Figure 19, for flange 284. Theflanges are provided with aligned holes through which a rod 26! passeswith a sliding fit. Rod 26! has its ends attached to the respective armsof a frame 262 having secured thereto a V-shaped projection 263terminating in one section 264 of a hinge received between cooperatinghinge sections 265 extending from one side edge of plate 252. See Fig.18. A hinge pin passing through aligned holes in sections 264 and 265acts to pivotally connect frame 262 to plate 252. As shown in Figure 19,when tension on cord 255 is released and springs 251 and 258 act to movethe plungers forwardly into operating position, plate 252 and frame 262are also moved forwardly. Rod 26| thus acts to rotate spool 202 to aposition such that the flat, notched, or cut surfaces 259 of flanges 263and 204, confront the end of arm 30' and the arm may be moved bymovement of the frame 24! without interference from the flanges.Likewise when the plunger-s 242 and 243 are withdrawn by pulling on cord255, the spool is rotated so that uncut portions of its flanges confrontthe edge of the arm 30' and act to limit its range of movement while atthe same time rod 26l permits any desired vertical adjustments of thespool. Numerals 212 and 213, Figures 16 and 1'7, indicate the ends offlexible cables secured to frame 241 and extending to the steering orcontrol wheel whereby, when the parts are in the positions shown inthose figures, movement of the wheel about a corresponding axis, pivotsarm 30' and initiates movement of the gun.

Since the range of movement of the gun in elevation is limited, usuallyto a little more than it is necessary in the case of the elevation oilgear, to provide means for stopping movement of the gun when it reachesthe limit of its move: ment both in elevation and depression. Figure1'7, shows one form which this means may have. A pulley 266 is journaledin bracket 231 and has a cord 251 extending thereabout and securedthereto at 268. One end of the cord is secured to head 250 and the otherend is secured to head 25L A pinion 269 is attached to pulley 268 and isin mesh with a rack 210 slidably mounted in a vertical channel 2 1Iprovided by bracket.

A cord 214 has its ends secured to the ends of rack 210. This cordpasses over pulleys 215 and .216 journaled on bracket 231 and thenceover pulleys 211 and 218 journaled on a bracket 21.9, adjacent theelevating arc gear sector I08 of the gun breech casing. A lever 28!! ispivoted on bracket 219 at 2 8! and has a roller 28.2 on its end lying inthe path of elevation and depression stops 283 and 284, fixed to sectorI08. Thus, when the gun reaches its elevation limit, for example, stop283 engages and moves past roller 282 and pivots lever 280. Cord 214then acts to move rack 210 downwardly and rotate pulley 266counter-clockwise. The resulting pull on cord 261 withdraws plunger 243and moves spring 245 out of contact with the arm 30'. As a result, arm30' which had been raised by upward movement of frame 241 and plunger243, is now free to move downwardly to centralized position, which itdoes under the urge of spring As a result, the gun stops.

The gun can then be moved downwardly only by reversing the movement ofarm This requires that frame 24! be moved downwardly until spring 244engages said arm. As soon as such engagement takes place, the gun startsto depress, stop 283 in moving past roller 282, returns lever 280 to theposition shown and the resulting rotation of pulley 266 permits spring258 to restore plunger 243 to its extended position. It will beunderstood that the force exerted by springs 251 and 258 whencompressed, is not sufficient to overcome the friction of rack 279 andthe pulleys about which cord 214 extends. If necessary, adjustablefriction springs may be provided to press against rack 210. Sufficientslack may be provided in cord 26! to permit the vertical reciprocationof frame 24! and the plungers carried thereby. While the foregoingaction has been described in connection with the elevation limit, stop2% acts on lever 280 in the same manner to stop the gun when it reachesits limit of depression by causing retraction or withdrawal of plunger242.

Guns of the type described usually have unlimited movement in azimuthand, in such cases, it is not necessary to provide the stop means justdescribed for withdrawing plunger 2 52 and 243 individually. Hence thesemeans will usually be omitted in the azimuth oil gear control. However,said means are adaptable to guns having limited movement in azimuth inwhich case lever 280 will be operated when the gun reaches its limits ofazimuthal movement in each direction. The construction is thereforereadily usable to limit the range of movement of the gun about bothelevation and train axes.

I have thus provided a system that may be almost instantaneously placedinto and out of action and, when in action, affords smooth, precise andaccurate adjustments of the gun whereby the eifectiveness of the gun isaugmented and an increased number of enemy aircraft or other targets maybe successfully engaged per gun during an encounter.

While I have shown the present preferred em- Q bodiment of my invention,alterations, substitutions and modifications will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art. The foregoing disclosure is therefore to be taken inan illustrative rather than a limiting sense. It is my intention toreserve all those changes, modifications and substitutions ofequivalents that fall within the field and scope of the subioinedclaims.

Having now fully disclosed the invention, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a gun, a source of power for moving said gun, amovable torque arm for controlling said source, a slide, an operatinglever pivoted on said slide and having means engaging said torque arm tomove the same on pivotal movement of said lever, said slide beingmovable to free said torque arm of said engaging means.

2. In combination with a gun, a source of power for moving said gun, amovable element for controlling said source, a slide movable between afirst and a second position, a lever pivoted on said slide, a pair ofspring arms on said lever each arm being urged toward the other, saidarms receiving said element between them when said slide is in saidfirst position, and being entirely free of said element when said slideis in said second position, whereby pivotal movement 18 of said leverwhen said slide is in said first position, acts to control said sourceof power and thereby movement of said gun.

3. In a system for controlling a gun mounted for pivotal movement by asource of power and having a torque arm pivoted on an axis and connectedto control said source of power, said torque arm having a pin eccentricof its pivot axis, said system comprising a slide mounted fortranslation between first and second positions adjacent said pin in apath normal to said axis, a lever pivoted on said slide, a pair ofspring arms on said lever arranged to receive said pin between them whensaid slide is moved to said first position, and to be freed from saidpin when moved to said second position, and manual control meansoperable from a remote station and efiective to pivot said lever tothereby control said source of power when said slide is in firstposition.

l. In combination with a gun, by a source of power for pivoting saidgun, a torque arm pivotally movable about an axis for controlling saidsource of power, a pin on said arm eccentric of said axis, a slidemounted for translation in a path normal to said axis adjacent said pin,a torque arm actuating lever pivoted on said slide, a pair of springarms on said lever, said arms being bowed toward each other and, whensaid slide is translated to a first position, yieldingly receiving saidpin between them, and when said slide is translated to a secondposition, being entirely freed from said pin, control cable means,extending from a remote control station and connected to pivot saidlever, and a manually operable control element connected to actuate theend of said cable means at said station to thereby control said sourceof power and pivotal movement of said gun.

5. The combination as covered by claim 4, and releasable locking meanseffective to positively lock said slide in either of said first or saidsecond positions.

6. In a manually-operable control system for a gun mounted for pivotalmovement, a source of power for so moving said gun, a movable torque armfor controlling said source of power, an actuating pin on said arm, aclutch plate mounted for movement in a fixed path adjacent said pin, alever pivoted on said plate, spring means on said lever positioned toyieldingly engage said pin when said plate is moved to a first positionand to be free of said pin when said plate is moved to a second positionand means operable from a remote control station and effective to pivotsaid lever to thereby control said source of power when said plate is insaid first position only.

'7. In a system for manually controlling a gun, a source of powerconnected to move said gun, a pivoted torque arm for controlling saidsource of power, a pin on said arm offset from the pivot axis thereof, aclutdh plate mounted for movement adjacent said arm, a lever pivoted onplate, a pair of confronting spring arms carried by said lever andreceiving said pin between them when said plate is moved to a firstposition and to be free of said pin when said plate is moved to a secondposition, and control cable means mounted on said plate and connected topivot said lever.

B. In a system for the manual control of a source of power connected toangularly move a gun, a torque arm pivoted on an axis for controllingsaid source of power, an actuating pin on said arm offset from saidaxis, a slide mounted for awn-sis translation adjacent and apa'th normalto said axis, a double-armed lever pivoted on said slide, a pair ofconfronting spring armscarried by said lever, each spring ar'm extendingsubstantially radially of the pivot axis of said lever and adapted toyieldingly receiving said 'pin between them when said'slide is moved" toa first position and to be free of said pin when said slide is in asecond position, a bracket on said slide, and a pair of cable controlelements carried by said bracket and having their ends connected to theends of said lever, respectively.

9. In a system for the manual remotecontrol of a gun, a source of powerconnected to train said gun, a pivoted torque arm for controlling saidsource of power, anoperating pin on said arm eccentric of the pivot axisthereof, a casing enclosing said arm and pin, a slide mounted fortranslation Within said casing in apath normalto, and adjacent, the axisof said arm, said arm having a portion extending exteridrly of saidcasing for manual translation thereof, a lever pivoted on said slide,spring means'on'said lever yieldingly engaging said pin when said slideis translated to a first position, the pivot'axes of said arm and leverbeing substantially aligned when said slide is in said firstpositiomandmanually controlled means operative to pivot said lever from a remotecontrol station.

10. In'a gun control system including a torque arm pivoted on a firstaxis, an operating pin on said arm eccentric of said axis, said armcon'trolling a source of power an'gulaflymoving said gun, a clutch platemounted adjacent saidlever for translation normal to said axis, a torquearm actuating lever pivoted on said plate on a second axis parallel tosaid first axis, a pair of spring arms carried by said lever,'eachbowedtoward the other from points remote of said second axis inwardly towardsaid axis, whereby, -'Wh'en said slide is translated to a positionin'which said axes are in substantial aligr'nnent sai'd spring armsembrace said pin between them for'nio'ving the same, irrespective oftheposition' of said pin within its range of movement.

11. A gun control system including 'atorque arm pivoted on a first axisand having an operating pin eccentric of said axis, said armco'r'itrolling a source of power anguiar-ly moving :said gun, a slidemounted adjacent said arm for'm'ovement in a direction normal to said'axis,*a-'double arm lever pivoted on said slide on a secondaxis, a pairof spring devices 'on'sa-id lever each extending radially ofsaidsec'ond' axis'andembracing said pin between them when said slide ismoved to a position 'to 'br'i'ng'said axis 'into a -lig nment, a bracketfixed on said slide, apa'ir of-fixible control cables each having itssheathing fixed to said bracket and its core connected to a respectivearm of said lever; said cables extending to a remote control station,and means at'said station for manually operating said cables to therebycontrol said gun when said'slideis in said position only.

12. In a system for control 'of oil gears each having a pivotedtorquearm arranged to control a' respective source of power for moving a gunin elevation and azimuthrmeans ineluding flexible elevation and azimuthcables-for effecting pivotal movement of said arms from a remotecontrolstation rotatable with said-"gun in train, a frame at said station, ahollow shaft-journaled on said frame on an axis substantially parallelto the horizontal trunnion axis'ofeaidguman axle pivot-ally supported by*said shaft 1 for' 20? rotation about an axis normal-thereto, a.rnan.-ual ly controlled disc fixed to said axle, said elevation cable beingconnected with said shaftior to move a gun about a normally verticalaxis.

and a normally horizontal trunnion axis, elevation and azimuth flexiblecable means, each said cable means being connected at one end to move arespective torque arm, said cable means extending to a frame carried bysaid gun for movement therewith about said vertical axis, a

hollow shaft pivoted in said frame substantially parallelto the trunnionaxis of said. gun, an axle pivoted in said shaft on an-axis normal tothe axis of said shaft, said axle having a pulley portion, saidelevation cable means having its core wrapped around and secured tosaid. shaft for actuation by said shaft and said azimuth cable meanshaving its core 'wrapp'edaround and secured to said pulley portion foractuation by said portion.

14. In combination with a gun movable about a first normallyvertical-axis'and a secondnormally horizontal trunnion axis, said gunhaving first and second power'means'connected to-1move said gunabout'said axes, respectively, .azmanually operable control disc, aframe carried by said gun for movement therewith :about saistnormallyvertical axis only, meansrn'ountin-g said disc on said irame for pivotal'movementabout a third' axis parallel-to the plane'of said disc'and saidsecond axis, and abouta'fourth axissperpendicular to said third-axis and"the plane :of said disc, first cable control means: connectedforoperation by pivotal movement :of said. disc about said third axis andcontrolling'saidsecondhpower means, and second cable control meansconnected for operation by pivotal movement of said 'disc about saidfourth axis-andrcoi itrolling said: first power means.

15. In combination with agun-having first and second power meansconnected to move-said gun about mutually normal elevationwan'dwrainaxes, respectively, a steering disc, amounting frame for said discmovablewwithsaid gun about said train axis, means mounting said 'disc onsaid frame for'pivotal movement about a first axis substantiallyparallel to saiddisc-and said elevation axisand for pivotal 'movementabout a secondaxis "normal to said disc and said first axis, a controlmeans for-controlling: the r-ates of operation of said 'firsta-n'dsecond power'means by and in proportion to the; pivotal movements ofsaid-discabout said-first and *secondzaxes, respectively.

16. In 1 a system for .the manual -CDI1tIOILDfIfiI'St and second :powermotors COHI'IBCUEdLWifihnEfIiA'IHl to move the (sameabout. e'leyatiomandtrain ,axes, respectively, valve meanscontrolling saidimotors, a supportbarv mounted. forumovement with said gun in train only; la pair ofparallel slidesxcarried by said bar: for adjustment thereonflin.ia=.1substantially :horizontal .first l direction, frame mounted onsa-idisslidesior pivotal adjustment about a firstsubstantiallyhorizontal axis, a shaft j'ournaled in said frame on asecond axis parallel to said first axis, -an axlecarried bysaid: shaftfor rotation about a thirdaxis perpendicular to said firstand-second*'axes,-asteering member afiixed to saidaxle,- and first andsecond flexible T shaft connectionsconne'cted at one=end to--'controlsaid valve means for said power motors, and at their other ends to saidshaft and axle respectively.

1'7. In a control system for a gun mounted for angular movement, asource of power connected with said gun to move the same, a pivotedtorque arm controlling said source of power, slide means mounted fortranslation between first and second positions, actuating means on saidslide means adapted in said first position to embrace a portion of saidarm eccentric of its pivot axis and to be out of contact with said armin said second position, and means adapted to be operated from a remotestation for moving said actuating means to thereby control said torquearm and gun.

18. In a control system for a gun angularly movable about an axis, powermeans connected to so move said gun, a movable torque arm controllingsaid power means, slide means mounted for translation between first andsecond positions, resilient actuating arms carried by said slide meansand adapted to embrace a portion of said arm when said slide means is insaid first position, and to be out of contact with said arm when saidslide means is in said second position, and mean manually operable froma remote station for moving said arms as a unit to thereby move saidtorque arm when said slide means is in said first position only.

19. In combination with an element movable to control a source of powerturning a gun about an axis, a first slide mounted adjacent said elementfor translation in a first direction, a second slide mounted on saidfirst slide and translatable thereon in a second direction normal tosaid first direction, between first and second positions, a pair ofspring arms on said second slide adapted to operatively embrace saidelement when said second slide is in first position, and a single remotecontrol means operable to shift said second slide between said positionsand to translate said first slide to manually control said element whensaid second slide is in said first position only.

20. In a control system for a gun mounted for movement about an axis,power means connected with said gun for moving the same, an arm pivotedon an axis and connected to control said power means, a first slidemounted for translation in a first direction, a second slide mounted onsaid first slide for translation in a second direction between first andsecond positions, said axis and directions being mutually normal, meanson said second slide adapted to operatively engage said arm when saidsecond slide is in said first position, and remote control meansoperable to translate said first slide and thereby actuate said arm whensaid second slide is in said first position only.

21. In combination with a gun, a motor connected to angularly move saidgun, a control arm pivotable about an axis to control said motor, alimit spool translatable in a first direction adjacent said arm, andhaving a guide slot axially and diametrically therethrough, a slidemounted in said slot for translation in a second direction between firstand second positions, a pair of confronting leaf springs on said slideadapted to embrace said arm between them when said slide is in saidfirst position, and to be clear of said arm when said slide is in saidsecond position, a lever having a straight arm slidably connected tosaid slide and parallel to said first direction when said slide is insaid first position, first and second flexible shafts connected totranslate said spool and lever, respectively, and extending to a remotestation, a member at said station movable between first and secondpositions, control means carried by said member for operative connectionto said first flexible shaft when said member is moved from first tosecond position, and means operated by the aforesaid movement of saidmember to actuate said second flexible shaft and thereby move said slideso that said springs embrace said arm.

22. In a control system for a gun arranged to be moved about an axis,power means for so moving said gun, an arm pivotable about an axis tocontrol said power means, a frame mounted for sliding in a firstdirection adjacent said arm, a pair of plungers carried by said framefor movement in spaced parallel paths in a second direction, said axisand directions being mutually normal, and spring means on each saidplunger and effective to embrace said arm between them when movedrelatively to said frame from first to second positions, and meansconnected to slide said frame from a control station remote therefrom.

23. A control system for a gun movable about an axis, power meansarranged to so move said gun, an arm movable in a plane for controllingsaid power means, a frame mounted adjacent said arm for translation in afirst direction parallel to said plane, a pair of plungers mounted onsaid frame for translation in a second direction at an angle to saidfirst direction between first and second positions, means carried byeach plunger adapted to move into the path of said arm when both saidplungers are moved to said first position, to thereby embrace said armand effect control movement thereof or translation of said frame, andmeans responsive to movement of said gun at a limiting position aboutsaid axis to move the plunger effecting said movement, out of the pathof said arm to thereby stop the gun.

24. A control system for a gun mounted for piv otal movement about anaxis between limiting positions, power means for so moving said gun, anarm movable in a plane to control said power means, said systemcomprising a frame mounted adjacent said arm for movement parallel tosaid plane, a pair of plungers mounted on said frame for individualmovement toward and from the path of said arm, means on said plungersarranged to embrace said arm when said plungers are in extendedpositions toward said path, spring means urging each plunger into itsextended position, means responsive to movement of said gun intolimiting positions to retract the plunger effecting said movement, andcontrol means extending to a remote station and there operable to movesaid frame whereby manual control of said power means may be effectedwhen said plungers are in extended position while movement of said gunis stopped when it reaches said limiting positions.

25. In a control system for a gun mounted for pivotal movement about anaxis between limiting positions, a motor for so pivoting said gun, anarm pivotal about an axis to control said motor, a frame mountedadjacent said arm for movement in a direction at an angle to said axis,a pair of plungers movably mounted on said frame for movement toward andfrom the path of an eccentric portion of said arm, spring means urgingeach plunger individually into extended limiting position, means carriedby said plungers to embrace said arm when said plungers are in saidlimiting position, means responsive to movement of said gun into itssaid respective limiting positions to retract said plungers out ofoperative relation with said arm, and means operable to manuallysimultaneously retract 'said plungers out of operative relation withsaid arm.

26. In a controlsystem for a gun pivotal-1y movable about an axis bymeans of a hydraulic motor under the control of a torque arm pivotalabout an axis, a frame mounted adjacent said arm for sliding in a firstdirection, a pair of plungersca-rried by said frame for movement thereonin a second direction between retracted and extended positions, saidaxis and directions beingmutually normal, means carried by said plungersfor resiliently embracing sa'id arm when saidpl'ungers are in extendedposition only, means operable from a remote control station to-controlthe move ment of said plungers in unison between said positions, and toefict sliding of said frame to thereby pivot s'aid arm when saidplungers are in extended positions, and means responsive to movement ofsaid to a limiting position, to retract that plunger causing saidmovement to thereby stop the gun in said position.

27. A control system for a gun, a power motor for moving said gun aboutan axis, and an arm controlling said motor, in combination, a spool anda frame reciproca'bly mounted adjacent said arm in parallel firstdirections, said spool having spaced flanges normally lying in the pathof said arm to limit the range of movement thereof, said flanges havingcut away portions aligned in said direction, a pair of plungers carriedby said' frame for. movement in a second direction normal to said firstdirection, between retracted and extended positions, said plungerswl'ienin. said extended position embracing and moving said arm in response toreciprocation of said frame, means onsaid frame operableto move saidplungers to extended positions and simultaneously rotate said spooltomove said cut away portions of said flanges opposite said arm wherebythe path of said arm is free of said flanges.

28. In combination with a gun angularly movable about train andelevation axes, two-power sources, each connected to move said gum-abouta respective one of said axes, first and second movable elements eachcontrolling a respective power source, a pair of slides, one mountedadjacent each element, each saidslidebeing-movable between first=and*second positionaresilient spring means carriedbyeach slide andarranged,when itsslicle is in first position; to operatively engage itsrespective element andto betout of operative engagement with its elementwhen-its slide is in second position, a manually controlled part, meansrotatable with said gun about said train axis only and mountingsaid-part for-movement about first andsecond -mutual1y--normal axes, thefirst one of which is substantially--parallel to said gun elevationaxis; afi-rst operating connection responsive to movement-of said-partabout the first of said mutually normal axes for moving said firstelement to thereby-control-the. gun i elevation when its slide is; infirst position, and a second operating connection responsiveto movementof said part about the secondof' said mutually normal axes for movingsaidsecond element to thereby control the gunin' train when its slide isin first position;-

RENE BATTAGLINI.

REFERE ES Cfi'rED' The, following references; are-of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED: STATES rATmrs Number :Date l m

